Clubhouse issues for Beckett date to ’03

Josh Beckett’s habit of hanging around the clubhouse during games is nothing new according to former Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon.

McKeon told the Palm Beach Post today that he locked the clubhouse door in 2003 to keep Beckett and Brad Penny from escaping the dugout during games. He even resorted to issuing bathroom passes.

“In between innings they’d go to the clubhouse to get a drink or hang out,’’ McKeon recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, I got no rule against going up if you have to go to the bathroom or something, but get back.’ A couple of times I looked down the bench to talk to somebody and they weren’t there. They were in the clubhouse. So I went up and got them out and said, ‘OK, boys that’s it. We’ll lock the door.’ ”

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McKeon said he literally had to chase Beckett out of the clubhouse with a bat. The Marlins went on to win the World Series in 2003 with Beckett winning the final game against the Yankees.

On Tuesday, the Globe revealed that Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester drew the ire of manager Terry Francona by spending time in the clubhouse during games this season drinking beer, eating fast-food chicken and playing video games.

“I don’t know what’s going on back in the clubhouse. Neither do a lot of guys during the game,” second baseman Dustin Pedroia told WEEI. “I don’t look down towards the people [who were] doing that by any means. I just hope it doesn’t affect their play on the field. If it affects their play on the field, then we need to make an adjustment.”